Make yourself comfortable
MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE
Celine
“Can I ask you a question?”
I tilt my head at Amara, a subtle indication of my unwillingness. But in her characteristic fashion, she asks anyway.
“Do you ever do anything non-vampirey? You know, something normal, like go to the movies, or…go to an amusement park?”
She pops a French fry into her mouth. She’s wrapped in only a towel, her braids piled high on her head after the shower we just took together. It’s been several weeks since we made up, and we’ve been enjoying each other’s company most nights since.
The table between us is laden with a plate of French fries, a half-eaten hamburger, a bowl of ice cream, and a glass of wine from my bar. I had to have a table moved into my suite just for her. Living humans seem to always be eating. I don’t remember eating nearly so much before I was turned. But I’m told that food is better now than it was in 18th-century Quebec. I suppose I’ll never know.
“I play piano, and poker,” I reply. “I have hobbies. I’m very multi-faceted.”
“Piano and poker are both vampire-y. I mean something normal . Like…rollerskating! I love rollerskating.”
“I am absolutely not going rollerskating.”
She huffs. “I’ve been in the city too long. I need more outdoor time. Don’t you ever get sick of being underground constantly?”
I give her an incredulous look .
“Yeah, yeah, I know you don’t! But I’m not a gothic creature of the undead. I need to feel the wind on my face, the grass under my feet!”
She laughs and puts her bare feet into my lap, leaning back comfortably into her chair as she grabs another fry. I caress the smooth skin of her ankle, the soft arch of her foot.
Watching her across the table, I feel lighter than I have in a long time. There’s just something about her. Sometimes she’s still a little tense and uneasy around me. But more and more often, she lets this other side slip through. This easygoing confidence, this intimate comfort. She acts so…free. It’s easy to feel the same in her presence. She smiles at me, a smile like nothing else. Her skin is fresh and glistening, radiating aliveness.
“I want to take you somewhere,” I say. “Anywhere you’d like to go.”
“Really?”
“Really. Money is no object. I know an excellent French restaurant, just down the street. I’m told they have a delicious c oq au vin. We could go to the opera first, I have a box…”
“Can we go to the park?”
I raise an eyebrow. “The park ?”
“Yes!” she says, her hazel eyes brightening. “Serenity Park. I’ve never been, but I’ve heard it’s beautiful! Like a forest in the city, with a pond, and a little zoo. And Xia says there’s a great hot dog stand…”
“Well, if that’s what you want to do, I’ll take you to the park.”
She beams at me, then takes a dollop of ice cream on her finger and licks it off. She gestures toward the generous spread on the table. “I’m sorry you can’t enjoy any of this. It’s rude of me, eating so much in front of you.”
“It would be rude if you cut your finger, and I could smell your blood,” I reply. “Food doesn’t entice me. When you consume blood to sustain yourself, nothing else can compare.”
She bites her lip, and I sense a shiver of trepidation pass through her. A flicker of something behind her eyes. Excitement? Fear? It heats the air between us.
“I don’t need to drink from you,” I say to her, firmly. “I wasn’t suggesting…”
“I know,” she replies, bringing her hands to her hair to let down her long braids. “I just…I don’t think I can do that.”
“I understand.”
And then I feel the familiar tug of the approaching dawn. It’s been long enough between us that she can tell by the expression on my face that it’s time. She pulls her feet away hesitantly, and I rise.
“Stay as long as you like,” I tell her.
She gives me a sheepish look. “Is it ok if I…sleep here for a while? My shift starts at 4pm.”
“But of course. .”
With a satisfied expression, she pulls her legs up to sit cross-legged on the chair and she takes a large bite of her hamburger.
I go into my study, and enter my crypt. The steady pounding of Amara’s heartbeat comforts me as I prepare myself to retire for the night.
I listen to it as I drift off.
Every quarter, Renata manages to make fiscal reporting more boring. She added another sub-agenda item to the quarterly board meeting, to discuss opportunities for cost-cutting in the cleaning department.
“And as you can see,” she says, pressing the clicker with her pristinely-manicured finger to move to her 500th slide. “If we switch to all-silk blend sheets, we’ll be able to bleach them in bulk, which increases perceived value while actually keeping costs lower …”
“That’s great, Renata,” I say curtly, flipping quickly through the associated binder that she’s prepared. “You’ve really thought this through. Motion to approve-”
“But I haven’t even gone over the promotional costs! There’s another three sections!”
I rub my temple. Is it possible for a vampire to have a headache? If it is, I’m getting one. “Ren, I trust you implicitly. You’ve clearly done your research. This plan looks excellent. Motion to approve?”
“Moved!” Lexi says. She sits with her bright orange platform heels crossed on the board table, gazing at her ridiculously long, matching nails, her binder untouched beside her.
I nod, willing to ignore her immature posture if it hurries this meeting along. “Seconded. All in favour?”
“Aye!” Lexi says.
Renata sighs, “Aye. ”
“Aye. I have Tudor’s proxy, so the budget is approved. If there’s no new business, then we can-”
“Oh!” Lexi says, moving her feet off the table and raising her hand. “I have new business!”
Renata looks at her skeptically. “Lexi, this is a budget meeting…”
“But Celine said new business!”
“Well, did you add it to the agenda?” Renata looks at Lily, the executive assistant, who shakes her head anxiously.
“That’s not fair,” Lexi whines. “You guys talk about things that aren’t on the agenda all the time!”
“Ren, it’s fine. Lexi, what’s your new business?” I ask impatiently. If they start to fight, we could be here all night. Better to appease her, whatever ridiculous scheme it is.
“I have a proposal!” says Lexi, her mascaraed eyes wide. “I’d like to throw a launch party for my bloodwine.”
“Good god,” Renata mutters.
“It’s going to be great,” Lexi continues. “We can invite all of the vampires we know, and maybe some of the evil witches too. We can use the event hall! I’ll do all of the planning and the decoration…”
“Lexi, it’s not in the budget!” Renata says. “How do you plan to pay for it?”
“I don’t know, with all of the money you save bleaching the sheets,” Lexi huffs.
“Do you even have a plan? A proposal?”
Lexi pulls out her phone. “I have a pinterest inspiration board!”
Renata looks like she’s about to blow a fuse. Lily’s typing becomes quicker as she eyes both vampires nervously. We all know how this could escalate.
“Renata,” I say firmly. “Could you find a few hundred thousand in the budget for Lexi’s…what was it again?”
“It’s a bloodwine launch party. All the celebrities do it when they launch a new brand. It’ll be so fun, I promise! We can do it when the academy is on their winter break, then all of the vampires will be back in the city. We can invite Amrita, Damien…”
She starts listing the names of vampires in the region.
“That sounds great, Lex,” I say. “Renata, I’m sure we can make it work, right? ”
Renata makes a low, guttural noise that sounds like she’s imploding.
I turn to the executive assistant. “Lily, for the agenda, ‘the board discussed the logistical implications of the event and determined that they would move forward with the proposal.’”
Renata glares at me but doesn’t protest.
“Thanks Celine!” Lexi says, standing up so quickly that her chair falls behind her. She doesn’t notice. Instead, she engulfs me in an enormous hug. “It’ll be such a great time!”
“I’m sure it will,” I wheeze. I’m glad I have healing powers, because this hug is cracking my ribs.
Lexi squeals with delight, then releases me and bounces out of the boardroom in excitement.
Thank god that’s finally over. I move to follow her, but my other sister blocks my way, her expression furious.
“ What was that about? Do you have any idea how much work you’ve created for me?” Renata snaps, waving the clicker in my face.
“Renata, I’m sure it will be fine . She said she would take care of it.”
“You know she’s not going to do anything helpful! She’s completely disorganized, and she never stays within a budget. She didn’t even put together a proposal ! I bet she’s going to ask for rhinos again…”
I chuckle. “You have to admit that was entertaining.”
“It was not entertaining! It took months to get the smell of rhino shit out of the pool ducts! Teams of cleaners!”
“Renata, it’s too late. She’s got her mind set on it. Just let her do her thing. And if it doesn’t work out, let her deal with it. You don’t always have to swoop in to clean up everyone else’s mess.”
She mutters angrily at me, but I choose to ignore her. I have more important plans.
“Now if you’ll excuse me,” I say, trying to step past her.
But she’s too quick. Stress, anger, and drinking recently make her faster than me, and she blocks the doorway.
Her eyebrow rises impossibly high on her forehead.
“You’re awfully eager to get somewhere,” she says. “Where are you going?”
“Nowhere that’s any of your business,” I reply curtly, trying the other side .
She puts her arms out. “Is it with the bartender? Are you still fucking the bartender?”
“Again! Not any of your business.”
“So you are fucking the bartender. Did you ever find out her name, Casanova?”
I growl.
“So that’s a no …”
“Her name is Amara,” I reply, now thoroughly irritated. “And I’m late to meet her. Now get out of my way, or you’ll find yourself on the wrong side of my stake!”
“Ha! Like you could run this place without me,” she says, but she moves aside so I can shove past her. “Enjoy your little snack!”
I’m surprisingly annoyed as I hurry down the office hallway and to the elevators. Not because Renata knows about Amara, but because of how she referred to her.
I can’t deny that this is the most significant relationship I’ve ever had with a breather.
Truly, it’s the most significant romantic relationship I’ve had with anyone . It’s strange to consider. I know that in more recent years, vampires have been able to develop romantic relationships with living humans that goes beyond sustenance and carnal pleasure. But I’ve never had time for something like that, and I’ve never wanted that, if I’m being honest.
Could I possibly have that…with Amara?
No. It’s just fun. She’s refreshing, really, and I need that, with all of the stress of handling Tudor, Cedric, Renata, and Lexi. She’s a much-needed distraction, nothing more.